Red Flower Child
by Pookyhorse
Summary: Aaro,an Eloi male, finds his life turned around when his carefree days are over when he is captured. He is warped and molded into something no Eloi would dream to be. He becomes more than a cull of his own kind but his enemy's own nightmare.
1. Chapter 1 The Dead People

Ugh okay. Got a call from the army. I have to REDO my waiver so I will be sitting on my butt longer. Meanwhile I decided since I have created so many stories based on Morlocks, I would try one on Eloi. This is a pretty twisted and dark story. This is also based similar to how I set up the species on the "Of Morlocks and Eloi" story. The Morlocks are based from the 1960 film since I prefer their gruesome appearance. The Eloi from the book(since I prefer their tiny size and somewhat different features..it makes them seem less human and more fragile then like the film. anyways..just to let you know since peopel ask me what it's based from. Sorry if the story seems weird. The Eloi are harder to write since writing from "dumb" critter's POV is not as easy lol. enjoy.

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**Chapter 1. The Dead People**

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The female Eloi abandoned her son forever, leaving him to himself in the vine-laden bushes. Her instinct to care for him suddenly vanished one morning. She drifted off with the other Eloi to forage and pick fruits off from the trees that were reachable. She went off to do the normal lifestyle all the other Eloi followed; to flirt, play and dance.

Her son stood up on the ledge, searching for this figure he looked to as his mother. He was now almost eight years old and a mature adolescent. Like the others he wore the silky tunic, a badge of his own species. His eyes were blue and his hair blonde like everybody else. He didn't stick out at all among his people. Right now he was gangly and leggy like a yearling horse.

"Eat! Eat!" One of the others said. Soon the others around him repeated this phrase. All of them like sheep. "Eat! Eat! Food!"

They followed one another to the berry-thick bushes and picked off blackberries. This species had no thorns to prick them. Nature had tamed her flora after all.

The one thing that stuck out among this future species of man was that they still handed out names. Even then the names were overly used. As one by one they disappeared below the ground the name was passed on to somebody else. That was their only individuality.

This one was called "Aaro" by his people. It was more of instinct to call somebody a name among them than to make themselves feel special.

The Eloi were dead people in a sense. All what lay before them and what had lain before was non-existent. They only knew of the "now." They followed pure instinct like some lower life form does. They were very small and elegant vegetarian creatures. Only about four feet tall and very lean. So very beautiful too with faces only seen in fairy tales. So very stupid.

Why this is concentrated on Aaro is because he was different. Something about him held a unique future abound for his people.

The young male sighed, not able to search for his mother. Slowly he too felt the bond wither away quite suddenly till he had all but forgotten her. Instead of mourning for her leave he went off to sit by the stream.

_Aww the stream. _How he liked to listen to the water steadily dripping down the rocks and forming pools at the bottom. His dull eyes flickered with life again. He leaned over the edge and stared into the water, watching the light bounce off the surface. The other Eloi were starting to gather to swim in the shallow pools.

"No!" He shouted when they jumped around in the water. He felt a twinge of frustration but it soon wore off and he went to do something else. He passed by several females who cooed at him to come over. He avoided them, feeling no urges to approach them.

He followed the old path pounded into the ground by his people. The mushy mud revealed the footprints of his own people and the Morlocks.

He hardly seen this creatures. Only their glowing eyes and their strong dried blood scent they carried. In the past he didn't carry much fear of them but now that he was mature something new rose up inside him. Fear. Now he had images of the beasts coming at him for what reasons he did not know. He only knew soon they would want him.

Again the Eloi followed him, thinking he was going on a search for food or perhaps just games. They danced around him and tossed flowers over each other's heads. He wheeled around again, feeling that hotness in his breast.

"No! No! No!" He shouted again, waving his arms around him. The other Eloi stopped and stared at him. Some very confused and some ignored him. This behavior was not of the norm. This was one of the ways Aaro was different. He displayed anger, something unheard of to the Eloi.

The first time Aaro felt this new feeling was when one of the Eloi shoved him off a small ledge. He sprained his ankle badly, leaving him limping for weeks. Even in his immense pain they continued to bother him. Soon he felt that fire flicker and arise inside him. Making those funny faces didn't work so he resorted to making loud noises. They were effective most of the time. It made them stop, so it made the pain better to bear. He was very lucky the Morlocks overlooked him. Most of the time a lame Eloi was a dead one.

The Eloi left him alone, just as he wanted. He ran down the dirt path. His legs sinewy and strong like a deer's. With each stride he could easily cover eight feet, easily outrunning any ancestor of his. He found this made the world go by fast and he enjoyed it.

The soles of his feet were hardened by the earth. He didn't bother with the sandals that were mysteriously left for them. He felt they hindered his ability to run so swiftly.

There were several holes in the ground around him. The smell of rotting flesh and other assortment of smells lingered here. The others of his kind never dared to come here. Something about this place was forbidden. He made it a game to throw rocks and sticks into the dark holes then dart away to hide in the bushes to see if anything would come out. Nothing ever did.

He stooped down low and squinted hard into the blackness. In his own mind he recollected that "dark" in the ground meant something deep. He poked his hand in and waved around. Still nothing popped out. Only air sifted gently inside. Some of the Eloi that were following him were horrified when they spotted him looking down in one of the holes. They disappeared back to the safety of their heavenly home.

Aaro grabbed another rock and threw it down.

"DARK!" He yelled, tilting his head. Why won't anything come out? The game bored him like it did every time he did this.

"_Maybe if I wait till dark something come?" _He said inside his head. He climbed up the low branches of an old tree nearby and sat plucking the beetles from the bark and dropped them to the soft grass below. They would make their journey back up the tree again.

Soon the sun started to dive under the hillside, leaving the sky in shades of red, orange and soon purple. His heart pounded and his instinct screamed at him to find shelter with his own kind. For a moment he wanted to jump down and scramble back to the others before it was too late. What if nothing came though? He had dropped rocks down in those holes and nothing responded. His body tensed, fighting the urge.

The stars shown above. He always liked those. They made him feel peaceful, made him forget the night.

"Darkness." He shivered between rattling teeth. His nerves were on high alert. Now he was almost blind. Only the half-moon above gave off shadows and forms of the forest around him. His sense of smell was stronger than man's. It was the strongest point of the Eloi. His nose could match that of a bloodhound's. Maybe if any strange scents alerted him, he would know.

Suddenly a shape seemed to loom out from the bare earth before him. Out from that hole in the ground. He lowered his breath and opened his eyes wider.

The odd sounds of grunting and groaning could be heard. That disgusting smell strengthened. He bundled his legs together, regretting he decided to stay here. One by one those creatures popped out from those holes, swaggering fast through the forest towards his home. He could see their eyes, glowing like flames of fire. Maybe that's why they could see? They took light and put it in their eyes.

After about thirty minutes he saw them come back with something else over their shoulders that squirmed and kicked. He could hear the tiny voices whimpering. His kind's voices. The feast had begun.

He froze as he heard a growling close by. His eyes met the glowing ones of this nightmare. At night he remembered seeing the night beasts simply walk away with the Eloi thrown over their shoulders. The Eloi only skittered around in circles and rarely fled. He remembered running away from the Eloi when they wouldn't leave him alone. Maybe the same game could replay here? He gave it a try.

Down he went onto his feet and took off as fast as his long legs could go. He heard the bushes crash and saw the silvery hair waving about beside him. The beast slowed down and didn't chase anymore. This was easier than he thought! These predators were slow.

Filled with courage he doubled back and picked up speed. The Morlocks were still heading down underground. He shot between the legs of one that stood in the perfect position, making it leap a good four feet into the air with fright. The chattering of the enemy started up again. He could hear them all howl, one following the other.

This was indeed a very fun game! Soon enough he felt himself growing exhausted. He picked up more speed and vanished back home to safety. His enemy remained puzzled for awhile before returning back down to their own world.

It gave him a warm feeling to be back with his own kind again. He had strayed away for too long. The other Eloi soon settled back down to sleep. Aaro found himself a spot snug in the middle, where he demanded to be. Being in this spot was the best to be. An Eloi sleeping on the outer edge had a bigger chance of being dragged off first. He had learned this from observation. Again this also set him apart. He was actually learning.

The smell of the night beasts was carried off by the breeze. By the early morning a huge storm could be seen heading in. The Eloi retreated to an ancient ruin that was left by their ancestors long ago. It served well as shelter from the rain and storms as it still had a decent roof to cover their heads.

Aaro squeezed himself towards the back. The halls were made out of pure marble. There were things laying about, mostly rusted. He learned from another one's awful experience that touching pointy things wasn't a good idea. One Eloi slit her gut open on some shards of metal before. The poor Eloi, confused, tried to pull out the weird stringy stuff from her stomach.

The next morning he found the herd emptied of the older Eloi. Now only children and young adults surrounded him. Some of the females his age were already pregnant, the Morlocks left them alone. There was no mourning. All the Eloi that disappeared were forgotten. There were a few hundred head of Eloi here already so it was no real loss.

The heat of the day rose up in temperature. Some of the Eloi filed down towards the river for a swim. Aaro stripped himself and waded out in a pool and sat on top of a rock just a foot below the surface. He was never alone to enjoy his trance. His kind didn't seem to mind stripping down in front of each other. They would just toss off their tunics and go skinny-dipping.

"New baby." One female was fiddling over her first newborn that she delivered last night. "Mine. New baby called Embra."

This was the only bonding he ever knew of. Mother and child stuck together for a few years. The fathers were never seen to partake in this. The older mothers were kept around to age older than the males. After about her third or fourth child she disappeared with the night enemies. The females who had no children were quickly swooped up as well.

He didn't understand this. Only knew this was the way of life. As the day dragged on he heard a constant cry among the herd. Eventually he spotted the source. Some male with a gashed chest limping around crying out. The front of his tunic soaked red with blood.

The Eloi only gave him a curious glance and turned their attention to others.

"Hurt, hurt badly. Hurt." The injured male complained.

Aaro approached him and touched the blood dripping down his clothing. Smelling it he winced in disgust. He knew this scent from the Morlock's holes.

"Hole in ground. You smell like Morlock." He said. The male only stared back.

"Morlock! Morlock!" The Eloi around him whimpered, getting up and drifting away from the bad word sayer.

It was a rare sight to see an Eloi with a wound like this. He figured the Morlock didn't want him.

"Eyes have light in them like sun." He told him, pointing to the sky. The male nodded, clutching his chest.

The young Eloi females behind him started to sing and dance around in a circle. Singing of the beautiful sun above them and the flowers at their feet.

Aaro noticed his mother dancing among them. He approached her and tapped on her shoulder. He remembered her again. She looked at him and giggled.

"Play." She said and went back to dancing with the younger crowd. He frowned. How could she just forget him like that?

He grumbled and went off to the Morlock holes to play his game again. This time he gathered a pile of sticks and started chucking them in one by one.

"GRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNT!" He heard down below. His body flinched and he bounded off into the woods. He stopped short and turned to watch. Nobody was even coming out.

"Night only." He concluded, going to another hole to chuck the sticks into.

Suddenly out of nowhere a face shot out of the hole. It was a Morlock! He met face to face with these hideous creatures for the first time. The creature's red squinting eyes glared hotly at him and grabbed him around the torso. Down he went into the dark hole. All this happened in a flash of a second.

"No! No!" Aaro screamed, grabbing onto whatever he could latch on. This night monster was too powerful to squirm from.

It was true the Morlocks hated the day but Aaro pissed one off just enough to chance it. He slung the Eloi over his back and ambled down the tunnel towards the caverns. Aaro felt himself go light-headed. His heart pounded against the beast's shoulder.

There was more grunting further down in the pitch blackness. He saw more glowing eyes moving around. Three-fingered hands reaching across his face too.

He whimpered and kicked out his legs. The Morlocks were grunting loudly now.

"He's a fine little beast!" The Morlock threw Aaro back onto the ground and tied his arms together.

"The other colony needed a good male they say. I'm not giving away our good ones. He should do fine. Good eyes, clean throat, good flesh." One inspected him. "He's got a fighting spirit I see. Well that's what the colony wants. For whatever reason I don't know."

"Kept tossing rocks down here. So I figured I'd nab him before he runs off. He's damned lucky I'm full." He grabbed Aaro by the hair and pulled him back up on his feet. The Eloi screeched, throwing his arms out again.

"It's certainly not something we want in our stock. He's a cull for sure." One grunted. "It disturbs me to see Eloi like this."

The Morlock that captured him hoisted him over his shoulder again and made his way down the caverns. Aaro couldn't see a thing. Only sometimes would a gentle light be thrown off from the machinery. He had never been so frightened in his life. Now he regretted playing that game. He was going off to the "never come back" place for sure now.

"Dark!" He cried out again, blinking his eyes repeatedly. He wanted the darkness to go away.

The Morlock carrying him gave him a jolt to shut him up. Aaro didn't know the meaning of death. He only knew in a sense that preserving his own life was important. He gave up struggling in his stinky captor's grasp and hung quiet. He was tied up to a rail, waiting for the sun to come down to be transported to some other land. Little did he know how lucky he was to be chosen. Or was he really that lucky.

He scrunched up in a ball, giving passing Morlocks a wary stare. His captor stayed close to make sure nobody would eat him. He threw the Eloi a piece of fruit.

"Quit looking at me like that." He snorted.

"Bright eyes. Sun inside, make head glow." Aaro continued his observations of this creature. "Steal sun away, see in dark."

"Jabbering away aren't we?"

Neither of them understood each other's words.


	2. Chapter 2 Little Cannibal

**Chapter 2. Little Cannibal

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It was a few hour walk to a far away place that Aaro was being carried off to. He hung off his master's back like a baby lamb. After about an hour he became bored again and used to clinging onto the back of this monster. He couldn't get over it's stench. It overpowered his nose, preventing him from smelling the delicious fruiting trees they passed by. It was completely dark, he could just see the moon casting a thin shroud of light over the land.

The packs of Eloi laying out in their small sheds signaled their arrival with greetings of whimpering and yelps. They shut the hatches in a futile attempt to keep the monsters out. His master only huffed and went down below, stumbling on a few rocks on his way down.

He was met by more of his kind. Again Aaro felt his spine tense.

"Brought you your Eloi. Young buck, just maturing. He's a wary one with a temper we only believe in culling all together as you wanted." The Morlock explained, handing Aaro over to them.

"Good, good." One grunted, rubbing a finger across the Eloi's face. He scratched him across the face. Aaro flinched in pain and again tried his tactic.

"No! No! No!" He yelled, batting the Morlocks hand away.

"Good! It's hard to find Eloi like this still around." He gave the small buck a rough pat on the head.

"Just to mention. He was throwing stones and sticks down our holes. Hit one Morlock on the head. I suppose he finds it a game so he's a daring one."

"Even better." The Morlock flashed his teeth and agreed their payment. Thirty pregnant Eloi and a few other valuables were included in the trade. Aaro watched his captor part and leave with the small females guided in front of him.

He gazed up at his new master that was now grunting at him and pulling on his roped hands. A few jerks got Aaro realizing what he wanted and followed. He was placed inside some type of pen with food and water. He plopped down on the moss and straw bedding and peered around.

Soon enough more Morlocks came to see him.

"How mean is he already?"

"Well he screamed at me." The other one answered weakly.

One went over and started to poke Aaro with a sharp stick. With a few jabs he felt that strange burning rise up again and he shoved the stick away.

"Nooo!" He yelled even louder than before, casting them a defiant expression.

"Look at the savage little beast. Such a face." The beast teased him. "You can do better."

He gave Aaro a smack across the cheek and poked him again. The two Morlocks hooted to provoke him.

Again and again he was poked, harder and harder. Aaro felt his anger rage as the pain did. Telling them "no" didn't work at all anymore. He batted at them again and screamed. This time he grabbed the stick and tried to pull it away from them.

"You gotta act like you mean it little stupid flower child." His tormentor laughed.

Aaro found the source, a hand, at the end. He reached over and bit the Morlock's giant thumb.

"Now that's how it goes. Take the bait." He shook his hand free and pulled the stick out of the tiny pen.

"Good enough?" His partner asked.

"For a fresh one yes. Let's go eat and wait later to start his training. I want him to meet my top Eloi buck. It will give him a teaching alright."

Aaro felt his face, rubbing the bloody mark away. He had bruises form where the stick jabbed him harshly. Damned monsters, he thought. For the while he focused on the overripe fruits given to him and ate them. They were soggy in texture, something he hated. The water was okay, not the same as the clean spring water he was used to drinking.

The anger inside him vanished but not without leaving it's mark. Now he felt some sort of resentment embedded inside him. Those dirty beasts left a bad taste in his mouth. The place smelled musty with a hint of rotting meat. So this was the "never return" place. Where were the others than that were taken away?

At least the bedding smelled fresh and like the earth above. He stuck his nose into it and tucked his arms under his stomach. He couldn't sleep, not in this bizarre place.

While he waited for what doom would come to him next, he thought about his childhood. His memories were faint. He remembered following his mother everywhere, picking at the fruit she'd give him. Or when she would run off with some other male and ignore him. Most of all he remembered his first vision of death when his mother gave birth to a stillborn. She would poke at it for any signs of life. It was as still and cold as the stones on the ground. It baffled him. He patted the tiny head, seeing if it would open it's eyes. He figured maybe it fell asleep and if you tried hard enough to never wake up again. Brooding over this he eventually fell into a short nap.

"Get up you." The Morlock grunted at him again, coming into his pen. Aaro pushed himself against the wall. Again he felt hands around his torso. His captor simply hoisted him up and held him close to his hip.

He was thrown into a small pit surrounded by more of those beasts. He noticed another Eloi crouching from across the pit smiling. This one was wearing a red tunic.

The Morlock closest to him made a few sharp snarls. The Eloi male threw himself forward after Aaro.

The young male only suspected some new type of game until he felt his counterpart's teeth sink into his shoulder. He roared in pain and pressed his hands against this Eloi's face and cut him with his nails.

Again he heard them all hooting all around him. Punches flew down on his face and more teeth marks on his neck.

Aaro suddenly whipped his leg up, kneeing the male in the stomach. He grabbed bits of his blonde hair and yanked. He didn't like this game and was going to put a stop to it.

"Stop! No!" He shrieked, grabbing the Eloi's neck and shoving him against the corner of the pit. He could hear his fighting partner hiss at him. "Kill! Kill!"

Aaro pounded his own fist down on the male's nose, breaking it. Soon enough after a few more well-aimed punches his opponent's face was splattered with blood. Aaro now stood over him, flinging his arms around again.

"Okay that's enough. We can see who the winner is." The leading Morlock put himself between the Eloi and yanked Aaro off the loser.

"He's sure something isn't he? Beat one of the top fighters."

"He doesn't back down that's what. Your champion is used to having his opponents back down. It's their nature to flee. This little guy gave him a royal beating." He gave Aaro a pat on the head.

"Stop!" Aaro popped the Morlock's hand. He would swiftly learn that attacking one's owner was a bad idea. The giant hand came down across his face.

"Don't you even think about it flower-boy." He gave his little fighter another pat on the head. This time Aaro held back his aggression. "Good boy."

"Lanky little bastards. Can't believe he beat him." The loser's owner grabbed his fighter out from the ring and left.

"Just wait till he gets into real training. He will be a tough little shit."

Aaro just wanted to lay down and sleep again. His body felt so sore and his face ached. He didn't understand the point of all this. Why not even two days ago he was basking out in the sunlight and feeding on nature's bounty.

"Because he's doing so damned fine now I have much confidence in him. I'm fitting him a red tunic now." His master praised.

"You were real lucky there getting him. Why don't you get him a female to play around with." One suggested, cleaning the blood off the floor with his tongue.

"Yeah he's gotta learn how to be a grown buck now. You should be happy flower-boy. Now you are a prized little Eloi."

Aaro touched his swelling lip. His face was a mess, blood soaked his hair and he was developing a black eye as well. His master carried him off back the same way. He come to see his own master had a large cave with a few sections inside it. Here he had his own mate and children and farther down was his own place to stay. It was lighted artificially for him.

He collapsed back on his bedding and snuggled into one corner for a nap. He could smell his own blood now drying on his face.

There was a shuffle behind him. His master dropped a female inside for companionship.

"There you go. Play nice now." He chuckled, leaving more food and water before he retired for the night.

Aaro felt a calm settle down inside him. He usually wanted to be left alone from his fragile brethren but now he yearned for them. He didn't understand the skirmish he encountered with that male.

The female wore a pitch-black tunic. She didn't look too happy herself but gave him a flat stare. Something was mysterious about this female. She didn't jump at him all gaily like the children but regarded him as someone that you shouldn't turn your back onto.

"Light here, dark there." He pointed out the lighting above his pen.

"Bite, scratch ,cut." The female responded, wrapping her arms around her knees. She had a few marks on her shoulders and neck. She was obviously some older female who knew the ropes yet played rebellious.

"Silly little boy." She scoffed at him. "You in for pain."

"I no understand." He leaned against the wall.

"Fight lots to make you mean. No more sunshine Eloi you." She warned him, no empathy in her eyes.

"Why for? No Eloi do that."

"Morlock's game. Fight Eloi then eat Eloi." She went on. "Fight many times."

"What if I don't fight?" He brushed the drying blood away from his cheek, making it bleed again.

"Eat you then like other Eloi. Only worth keeping alive if fight good." She rolled over to sleep. Aaro shivered to himself, not enjoying this new lifestyle.

He didn't touch his wounds anymore, knowing it would only worsen the pain. He snuggled close against the female's backside. Being used doing this in his own herd, the young Eloi didn't find it intrusive.

After a few hours sleep he awoke. Barely awake as he was used to getting up at the break of dawn. Here it was always dark. The female rolled away from him and continued snoring. For a moment his breath left him, not remembering where he was.

"Oh." He said out loud.

His master's grunting surprised him. The glowing eyes hovering over his pen.

"Awake I see." He placed more water and food down for them. Aaro felt that ugly hand ruffle his hair again. He opened his mouth to scream at him but quickly held it back. He remembered yesterday's beating.

"Had fun with your little playmate? Eloi are such horny little buggers." His master staggered off into the darkness.

The female didn't even wake up at the monster's arrival. She turned herself around, wiping her eyes.

"Morlock make too loud of noise." She complained, fixing her sleeves.

"Stink here, hardly sleep."

"I no smell anything." She was used to the stench of predators, spending most of her life down below.

For once he noticed something unique about her. When she sat off into a shady corner her eyes gave a very faint glow, so faint that he had to approach very close.

"Sun in eyes." He pointed at her face.

She shook her head, not understanding.

"Shiny eyes make bright." He said again.

"Morlock." She figured out what he was talking about.

He still didn't get it but didn't go on about the subject. It was beyond his knowledge.

His master came back again, hooking his arm around Aaro's torso. The Eloi tensed up and kicked out with his feet. With his other hand the Morlock grabbed the female. She hung quietly from his arm. Aaro was given a hard shake until he submitted.

"No struggle stupid." She scoffed at him, annoyed by his lack of handling experience.

The female was dropped off in some pen full of females. Most had little eyes glowing faintly at him. His master carried him off into a large room. There was a strange creature chained to the wall. It had a face similar to his but it's many Morlock features fooled him. It was his first glimpse of a hybrid.

It roared out at the both of them, shaking it's deformed arms. It was a cross gone bad by it's shape. The mad creature's head wobbled about on it's too long of a neck. It was clearly out of it's mind as well.

"Go on and get em." His master shoved him forward.

The hybrid swung it's overgrown claws at him, raking Aaro's tunic to strips. He darted out of the way, against the Morlock behind him. Again he was shoved forward against his will.

"Don't back away. Nab that ugly thing!" He hooted.

Aaro felt the monster's claws cut across his back. He winced and yelled out. Claws dug themselves into his clothing, not letting him go. The young male turned with fists and cuffed the creature's hideous chin.

"That's right flower boy right where the lights go out."

Aaro screamed at the monster and threw his foot down on it's face repeatedly until the monster was knocked clear out.

"Nailed him." He picked up Aaro and cleaned up his wounds with water and wrapped a bandage around his middle. Then dressed him in fresh clothing. The Eloi felt very weak from the loss of blood. His legs shivered under his thin figure.

"Come on you." He hooked a finger around his pet's neck and led him forward. "You can't see but you will learn how to."

Aaro stumbled about, scraping his knees over the rocks that jutted from the uneven flooring. He reached out with his hands, trying to feel for the wall. His master pushed him forward.

"So I smell blood." His master's friend was sitting on a low projecting rock, enjoying his dinner.

"He knocked Old Ugly right out." He tied his prized Eloi to a heavy rock and sat down to join in on the feast.

"He's something I tell you. Make sure you don't make him too smart." The male chuckled, shoving a sliver of leg meat in his mouth.

"I'll get him smart enough to throw his own defenses. I think he'll be able to learn weaknesses of his opponents. Not many of even the top fighters can accomplish that." He kept going, waving his hands around.

Aaro felt the rock he was tied to. It was too heavy to lift up and move around. He reached for the rope around his neck and ran his fingers around the knot. In his youth he, as the others, would twist flowers around vine ropes to make necklaces. He knew the concept of a knot very well.

Before he even was half-way done figuring it out he felt a hand rest around his shoulders. He dropped his hands and faced his master.

"Ha look at that. Damned bastard tried to untie himself." He yanked the Eloi back to him and tied it even tighter.

"Already too damn smart for his own good." His friend chuckled. "Hey maybe he'll eat this."

The two Morlocks tried to force feed him a piece of his own kind. It was the most repulsive thing he had ever tasted. His face screwed and his tongue shot out the offensive chunk of meat. His captors laughed their heads off, slapping their knees.

"You gonna have to get used to that boy. Gonna learn how to eat meat alongside your fruity one. No more being a softy."

Aaro bent over, spitting out the blood. The salty taste of the meat wouldn't get rid of itself from his mouth.

"Now wise up and stop acting like that. I can eat fruit without sharing faces like that." His owner scolded, picking up the spat out meat and eating it.

Again his master grabbed him and shoved another piece into his mouth. He held Aaro's jaw shut and his body down.

"Swallow you stupid fool. It's just one piece. You will be eating much more. It will make you mean!" He snarled, grabbing the jerking legs. When his fighter still refused to swallow he leaned forward and blew into his nose.

Aaro felt the slimy piece of flesh go down his throat. His cruel master released him, letting him fall to the ground. He spluttered up foamy spit and rolled over.

"So sensitive about his stomach. Get up before you make me look dumb." The Morlock kicked him. Aaro got up and growled.

"Yeah that's right. Grrr! Growl at me like the beast you are!" He taunted, jabbing the Eloi in the chest. "Eat another piece. Refuse and I will shove it down your throat."

Aaro was offered another bloody sliver. Again and again he refused, slow to learn what his master wanted of him. He didn't like this food! Why feed it to him!? After the fifth chunk was offered to him he took it reluctantly and gulped it down quickly. Whatever good taste of the fruit he had early in the morning was all gone. He belched, his own breath smelled like that of the Morlock's. He wanted to throw up all over that beast's face.

"Now you learned!" He kept giving him more and more.

Aaro didn't even bother to chew the food, knowing it just made it taste even stronger. He wondered where this food was coming from. It was not fruit. If it was, it was one he would never try again.

He walked forward as the Morlock's hand disappeared behind him. He felt the carcass. His hand ran up something long and cold. Then into something warm and sharp. He felt for more as his hand fell upon the animal's face.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ELOI! ELOI!" He jerked backwards.

The two Morlocks screamed with laughter again. Such cruel torture was their only satisfaction for humor.

"Little cannibal." His master reached his lead rope and jerked him back.

"Don't start him too early or he'll never be the same." The other Morlock told him.

"That's what I want. I don't want some flower boy. I want a cannibal!"

"He'll get sick."

"You'll be surprised what you can do with Eloi. Such stupid animals that can be formed into anything. If I want to turn a flower into a flytrap then I will." He stroked Aaro's soaking hair. "His ancestor at one point ate meat. He can do it as well."

The Eloi felt his eyes roll back. His head grew light again with the heavy smell of blood. His mouth was greasy with the fresh fluid.

"See this? You will start fighting this. And at the end of every fight you will have to bite off a chunk to prove yourself a fighter." His master lectured him. It would take Aaro a long time to understand the degraded, animal language.


	3. Chapter 3 Red Flower Child

**Chapter 3. Red Flower Child

* * *

  
**

Three years had passed since Aaro's capture. There wasn't a day that went by that no change was progressed by his master's ruthless training. Word soon got around of this grand fighter of the flower children.

Fighting Eloi was a rare sport in this age. To most it didn't come across to even think of the soft, deer-like humanoids to be used as killer devices. What made it even rarer was that there were hardly any Eloi that would live long enough to prove to his own master. His will to be crushed and rebuilt into an animal so strikingly disparate from his own image.

Aaro was not one of these the Morlocks considering a weakling. His master was very proud of his work put into this buck. The lanky Eloi was now nicely filled out with lean muscling from his everyday excursions. He was very promising in all his fan's eyes who rooted for him ever since he showed up in the ring to be pitted against others of his kind.

Scars carved over his shoulders and backside. His ears were also notched, showing who he was slave to. Smiles were non-existent to him now. It was as if he had never smiled in his life. Such childish expressions were left behind. His eyes, cold and prodding for a fight to the death. It was true that he was a tougher Eloi than he once was but inside he was shattered to pieces.

"Go and lick that nasty bloated head over there." His master barked at him, his signal to charge Aaro into fighting mode. He slung forward and grabbled his opponent. They both snarled at each other, each only wanting to beat each other senseless to ease their own suffering.

Aaro had watched Morlock male's compete for mates out in the open moon-light. He experimented their fighting styles into his own. His opponent threw him forward on his back. The crowd howled and hooted at him to get up.

The male flung himself into the air, hands out spread to give the prized Eloi his final blow. Aaro flashed his leg out, nailing the Eloi right in the stomach. He wheeled forward over him. Aaro grabbed him by the waist and hoisted him over his back. Then he backed into the wall several times. His partner screamed as blood coursed down his face. A few more slams split the small head apart. Fresh brains oozed down the wall and splattered on the cold floor. Aaro dropped the male carelessly onto the ground and bent over to bite off a finger. Then he walked out from the ring. His ears filtered out everything. Silence was all he strained for.

"Good boy." His master patted him, tying the rope back around his neck. "Barely any scratches."

The lifeless blue eyes dropped to the floor and closed. Each day he thought of how his last day would end. The stillborn baby came to mind again. Maybe he will fall asleep and never wake up. Maybe if he tried hard enough it would happen.

In his pen he collapsed in a heap. He raised his head feebly and whispered. "Sleep."

To reward his prized Eloi he always gave him a female. It was the only pleasure now Aaro ever got. Not mating but just the companionship of an individual that was not wanting to tear his own head off. He went over and brushed a finger down the female's fine face. All the females gave him that same, frightened look. His mean face was hardened. His feeling of tenderness now only existed in his heart. To ease her hard stare he kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him over her. Their love-making was brief. For the rest of the night he kept her tight against his chest. His tender moments were convincing enough for her to sleep in his grasp.

During his time along he recalled memories past about his life. Back when he was blissfully ignorant and strolling through the grass. The flowers, sweet between his teeth. The fresh fruits plucked from the branches. Now he feasted on overripe fruits and the flesh of his own kind. He grew used to it.

He remembered the times he wanted to be left alone from the annoying children. Now he would do anything in the world to just dance with them. Even if it met a whole lifetime of no peace and quiet.

He stretched out his neck and held the female tighter. Another feeling started to embed itself slowly onto his being. The desire to acknowledge individuals of his own kind. He wanted to know a female. Not just to keep her for a night to smile inwardly for awhile but to keep her forever. Somebody to share his side and to guide his shadow. None of these females seem to click.

The next morning Aaro was tied outside to soak in some sunshine. He had a heavy rope wound around his neck and chest by a thick knot behind his back. Here he was trusted enough that he wouldn't run off. The rope itself would surely keep him there.

He climbed up top of a boulder within his reach and sat down. His master was smart enough to place him in a spot where there was no sharp rocks to cut the rope with.

Up here he could see the Eloi playing and laughing. They would all meet the same fate in the end. A long time ago he tried calling out to them but they kept their distance. He didn't know it but his red color warned them. It was not uncommon for a warped fighter to escape and find himself amidst his gentler kind. Only it ended in bloodshed with many wounded or killed. Eloi were such sensitive creatures.

If there was one saying kept in heart by the owners of these warped savages was that the gentlest creature in the world was the Morlocks worst nightmare. Many of the other night beasts laughed at this. To them they only knew of the uncaring and dull nature of the sun lovers up above. A child could easily bring down an Eloi if it desired to. Only the trainers who lusted for the fight of their smaller cousins knew of it. You had to be one to have that feeling crawl down your backside.

Even he could smell the fear starting to come from his master. To the cruel trainer, he knew size didn't matter. It was the cunning and methods of killing your prey that mattered. The past few months he felt he had taught his prized killer too much. At first he thought the fact that Aaro copying techniques the Morlocks used on each other was a fine deed but now it was becoming dangerous. It had dawned to him that his fighter was not only learning the weak spots of his brothers but of his kind as well. His friends around him told him to take the Eloi outside and brain him against the rocks before he got too hot to handle.

His kids would laugh at this silly talk. Just a little Eloi with a temper. He disagreed with his friends. Aaro was worth just too much. He knew of other colonies that enjoyed the same games. They were very few and wide apart but it was a good way of earning goods and stock. He could easily trade three hundred head of good Eloi for him if he decided to give him up.

No he would not just slaughter such a valuable buck. He promised to himself if Aaro ever did turn he would just snap his neck off. He was willing to wait up to that point.

Aaro continued to watch the Eloi play about. He brushed the grass seeds from his tunic and frowned. He spotted a tiny bush rich with red berries. He jumped down and shoved mouthfuls in. They were very good. His mother used to feed him these when he was being weaned from her milk.

He stopped chewing for a moment, still he remembered her. The berries brought a sense of pleasure to him. He cracked a slight smile at the tart taste. The bush was big enough to support hundreds of berries. He reached in deeper and plucked off more.

He could see more red berries, speckled along the tree line of the forest ahead. He leaned forward against his rope. The noose around his neck tightened, choking him. The smell of the fruit was too much. He turned and jerked as hard as he could. His master had tied it around a rock that easily weighed around four tons or more. He grabbed the rope around his neck and tugged upwards. It was still tight. Then he backed up as the rope grew slack. The loop widened so slightly. He reached up again and pulled as he backed up. The noose was now wide for him to slip his head through.

Success! He felt his heart hammer as he slipped the rest of it down his hips and stepped over it. Now he was free. With one last glance at the dark hole he sped off into the woods towards the Eloi herd. His legs became a blur. This was the fastest he had ever ran. The little Eloi didn't stop until he reached the foothill where the Eloi gathered at. The sun was starting to set fast. They were heading back towards their tiny huts.

As he approached they all turned their heads and froze. Some started to chatter and cry to each other.

Aaro stopped and attempted to look as non-threatening as possible.

"Me Eloi. Friend! Eat fruits, lots fruits." He stepped closer as he talked.

The Eloi turned on their heels and scattered in all directions. This strange one was wearing red and carried the smell of their blood. He was an enemy in their eyes.

He lowered his head, knowing that chasing them would not prove him harmless. Instead he followed them, herding them like a sheep dog to get close. In the end the sun started to come down. They filed into the houses made for them and shut him out.

The Eloi near the windows stared out at him, speaking softly to one another. They all shut up as rustling in the bushes made it clear there was not only this enemy to deal with.

"There you are! Damned fool got away. Do I have to tie all your limbs together behind your back to make you stay put?" His master had come to find him. In his three fingers held another rope. Aaro bowed down and twisted off into another direction.

There came a sudden whoosh in the bush as another Morlock reached out with arms spread ready to grab him. He stopped short, staring downward at him. He swerved around, popping out one leg behind him, catching the Morlock in the nose.

His master was right behind him to drop the noose around his neck. Aaro spun around and flung himself underneath his master just as he felt the claws catch his clothing.

He gave his master a nice wallop in between his legs. The Morlock doubled over, clutching himself. His friends chased after him. Aaro put some distance between himself and his enemies. He would run forever if that's what it took to get away. Forget these Eloi. He could find others that would accept him.

The moon wasn't out this night, leaving no light to guide him. His years of living underground had sharpened his other senses. Like a blind dog he dodged obstacles in his path that he could not see. The forest around him was quiet now and not a snap of a twig could be heard. His enemies have given up for being too slow.

His lungs were on fire now but he couldn't give up. Stopping just made it worse. He kept himself at an even pace. Every few minutes he kept glancing back, suspecting any moment glowing eyes to be stalking him.

All night he traveled without a rest. He would not stop until the sun would scare all the Morlocks back underground. He made it his plan to start sleeping during the day and to move during the night.

At last the sun reached out over the hill in front of him. On the very top he looked down. The land laid out before him for miles around. No signs of Morlock colonies or Eloi. Up here he flattened a circle of grass and fell asleep. At midday he awoke to search for food. He pranced down the hill side to keep following the sun and find some of those berries again.

He halted and squinted hard into the shady woods beside him. Something out of place caught his eye. In the overhang of the trees stood small creatures. Were they eve alive? He drew nearer, bobbing his head to get the gleam of the sun from his eyes. There stood nearly camouflaged with the forest was these pale figures. He saw skulls with big black sockets, staring out at him. Their gaping wide mouths were pitch black. They were very still.

Behind a big tree trunk he saw an Eloi crouching down and facing away. It was painting something on it's face. He looked back up at the figures again. Now they all were looking at him still. His sharp eyes didn't spot their movements.

The one crouching down faced him. It had those same dark sockets. With closer observation he spotted the blue eyes. They were painting themselves. If it was for the effect it gave him it surely worked.

"Go away. No red here." One of them spoke out. "Make fight and kill."

"I no kill. I hate Morlocks. Evil and bad. I run way." He pleaded, showing them his hands.

"No go away. Morlocks follow you here. Follow smell of blood you leave. We have to move now. Go away." The Eloi said his final word and they disappeared with a trace into the woods like vanishing ghosts.

"Dumb Eloi." He heaved and went on with his travel. They had a point. He did smell terrible. The last time he bathed was many months ago. His blonde hair was now stringy and darkened by matted blood and dirt. To the Eloi he encountered he smelled just like a Morlock. It confused them.

Not but another mile a stream of water was found. He jumped right in with his clothing. With some nearby berries growing close the rocks he smashed them up and rubbed the juice over his clothing. There were a few fruits and plants that were great for removing grease from hair. He learned this from his early life. After smashing them up into a nice brew of fruity shampoo he rubbed it into his hair. It took a few rewashes to get everything out. After he cleaned his clothes he flattened them out against the hot rocks to dry out. He swam about to slough off the rest of the filthy layers from his skin.

He felt refreshed. All the years of torment seemed to wash out with the water. To celebrate he picked flowers and made himself some bracelets and necklaces to wear. For once he just wanted to be like everybody else of his kind. He wanted to forget and play.

He sat out in the sun naked to dry himself. Meanwhile he gathered a variety of fruits to fill up his stomach. It made him smile again to sink his teeth into fresh fruit again. No more repulsive cannibalism and stagnant water from the pools down below. Now the only problem that lay ahead was finding ones who would accept him. He would have to move far away where none knew the symbols of his scars and red clothing.

While the sun remained seen, he hid himself under a shady flower bush to sleep the rest of the day off. The Eloi he had met earlier had since moved away. The air was so still and silent. Almost too silent. He was so used the constant rumble of the machinery.

He grew weary though. If these Eloi were fearing the Morlocks did they even venture this far? Were there other ones close by? He could not smell the stench of rotting flesh that often lingered with them. Only the woody trees and their sweet fruits.

Again he dosed off till the internal clock inside him warned him of the oncoming night. He stretched his limbs and continued on going true. The setting sun drew him forward on the tips of it's orange rays, beckoning him on.

----------------------

"That damned beast has escaped." The Morlock trainer grinded a stone under his foot as he spoke to the others.

"Did you secure him right? With the rope?"

"Of course I did. He slipped right out regardless. He's become too smart." He peered down. "I don't know what to do."

"Well we can't have a overly smart Eloi running havoc out there. He could influence others and harm other Morlocks." One pointed out.

"Oh come on! It's just one damned Eloi!"

"No. He's not like the others anymore. He knows too much and is a savage."

"I just say he's somebody else's problem. He's probably far off now, trying to avoid us. Leave him be and lets deal with the ones we have. Take extra precautions."

"He was damned valuable. Damn it all." His trainer last said before retiring out above. "I will scour the area one last time."

"If he's as smart as you say he will not be around any more."

"Then I believe it is best to pass the word on to the other colonies. Avoid that damned red one. If they want to be stupid and try to catch him so be it." He rubbed his balls, still aching from Aaro's kick.

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The sun and moon had trailed across the great sky several times since he had met the Eloi with the skull-painted faces. His joints creaked in pain and his feet sore. There was not a sniff of another colony anywhere. He lifted his face towards the clouds with eyes half-closed. Several buildings around him dotted the land. Here was a fallen city millennia's old. The anomalous shapes were weather worn and faded. Inside they were nothing but empty shells. Whatever traces of objects his smarter ancestors left behind had been taken over by the earth. His people looked at these buildings as just part of the environment around them. They served as protection from the weather and some from the Morlocks.

He wondered if they just sprouted from the ground like the trees. Building and work held no place in his mind.

There was a brief crash in the raspberry bush in front of him. He stood poised to run, one foot lingering in mid-air. A few Eloi were throwing the huge raspberries aside, sharing them among others that revealed themselves from the brush.

He stood still to watch, expecting them to run away at the sight of him. They only glanced at the newcomer and rolled a berry close to him. Bending over he cradled the berry in the fold of his arms and followed them.

A large herd of them gathered around a small valley at the bottom of the hill. There were more buildings scattered around, obviously their homes.

Here reminded him of home. Eloi frolicking about with no care in the world. Taking his place among the herd he sat down against a shadowed tree. He noticed they all avoided the dark shadows of the forest and stayed out in bright sunlight. Some looked over to him, confused at why he took to these frightening spots.

He ignored their prodding eyes and shoved his face full of the tasty raspberry. All these Eloi sported pastel-colored tunics and leather shoes. All of them looked the same as he.

After finishing his lunch he took a gander around the place, getting to know your area was wise incase of enemies. He inspected the buildings. They were heavily cracked from the shifting earth beneath them. The floors had grooves and scooped out bowls where the Eloi had favored sitting spots. Pillows and soft blankets were folded neatly. He could smell the Morlocks on them. Living underground had revealed to him some of their secrets.

Beside him he heard a whimper. An Eloi female was laying balled with her knees to her chin. Blood smeared across the pale blankets. He bent down and touched her arm. She jerked her chin up and gawked at him with big blue eyes. Both her arms were broken with compound fractures. The shattered bones stuck out from her arms, causing the bleeding. How she did this was over his head.

"Hurt." He said to her flatly. She peered down at her arms and winced.

"Morlock come eat you. Smell blood." He warned her, pointing out the door. She cried out loud, her eyes darting around.

He brooded for a moment and left. The girl stared out at the marble walls. Awhile later the strange male returned. Under his arm was sticks and banana leaves.

He pulled off the leather strap from around his tunic. With a sharp knife he kept tied to his waist he cut the strap in half. The girl only watched, not understanding.

The girl squirmed as he straightened out her arms, securing them with the sticks and at last wrapping them. She cried out again, believing he was trying to harm her.

"Still." He glared at her firmly. After he finished the girl laid her sweaty head back down. A few other Eloi peered in, whispering among each other.

Aaro took his place next to her and sat silently. The quiet girl pushed her face back into the cushy pillows.

"What you do?" One of the male Eloi asked at the door.

"Fix her arms, broken." He answered simply. After a time they wandered off, their short-attention span kicked in. The girl could only stare back at him once more. He already understood what she would say to him or not say really. One thing for sure he knew he would have to find her a better place to stay. The doors were rank with the beast's scent. They would trail her down first. The Morlocks never wasted any time on lame Eloi.

With great care he picked up the whimpering girl and carried her off into the wood line. Some of the Eloi thought this was a new game and tried it out on each other. Most were too weak to handle each other's body weight for very long and collapsed.

He carried her up high from the ground, leaving no scent of blood as breadcrumbs. She started to squirm when they went across a shallow pool into the dreary darkness of thickening foliage. In her small mind darkness meant the one enemy.

"No not dark! Bad things there!" She cried, kicking out her legs. He sat her down in a well-secured area free from where prodding eyes would seek.

"Good place. No Morlocks here." He reassured her, stroking her face. She pressed her face against his shoulder, hoping it was true.


End file.
